Book Review: 'Wellington' by Rory Muir

Wellington had courage, luck, an eye for battleground—and a sensitivity to the 'butcher's bills.' Max Hastings reviews Rory Muir's "Wellington."

By

Max Hastings

Dec. 20, 2013 3:04 p.m. ET

The Duke of Wellington occupies the same place in British iconography as do George Washington and Robert E. Lee in that of the United States. His greatness on the battlefield is hard to dispute.

He was one of the first generation of warriors whose words were reliably recorded, generating a feast of anecdotage. The characterization of his own army as "the scum of the earth, enlisted for drink," for instance, is celebrated or notorious, according to taste. It was also true. There are many such gems: "The next...